Feminism is often discussed as a unified movement, but in truth, it's a broad, evolving collection of ideologies with different priorities, strategies, and understandings of what equality looks like. From voting rights to wage equity, from body autonomy to representation, the feminist movement has splintered into various schools of thought over time—each trying to correct what it sees as blind spots in the others. Understanding these branches helps us move beyond simplified stereotypes and appreciate the complexity of gender justice today.
Liberal Feminism: Reform Within the System
Liberal feminism focuses on individual rights and equality within existing political and legal frameworks. Rooted in Enlightenment principles, it advocates for equal access to education, employment, and legal protections. Think of efforts to close the wage gap, ensure reproductive rights, or increase women's representation in government and business. While powerful in shifting laws and policies, critics argue it doesn’t go far enough to challenge the structures that cause inequality in the first place.
Radical Feminism: Reshaping the Patriarchal System
Radical feminism, as the name suggests, wants to go deeper—arguing that patriarchy is embedded in all aspects of society and needs to be dismantled at its roots. Rather than pushing for inclusion in existing institutions, radical feminists may call for entirely new ways of organizing relationships, work, and family life. This type of feminism has been especially influential in movements against gender-based violence and in critiquing the commodification of women’s bodies.
Difference Feminism: Valuing the Feminine
Unlike the first two, difference feminism doesn’t claim that women and men are the same and should be treated identically. Instead, it emphasizes the value of traits traditionally associated with femininity—such as empathy, care, and relational thinking—and argues that society should elevate these rather than force women to conform to masculine norms. Critics worry this approach may reinforce stereotypes, but supporters see it as reclaiming what patriarchy has historically devalued.
Intersectional Feminism: Layered and Inclusive
Coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectional feminism recognizes that gender does not exist in a vacuum. A Black woman, a disabled woman, and a trans woman experience gender discrimination in very different ways. Intersectional feminism insists on including race, class, sexuality, disability, and other identities in feminist analysis, pushing back against early feminist movements that centered mostly white, middle-class, cisgender women.
Ecofeminism, Marxist Feminism, and More
Beyond these better-known types are other branches, such as ecofeminism, which links the exploitation of women with the exploitation of nature; Marxist and socialist feminisms, which emphasize how capitalism and class oppression intersect with gender; and postmodern feminism, which questions fixed categories of gender and identity altogether. These strands add further nuance to feminist thought and practice, each carving out its own space in the conversation.
Feminism isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s a toolkit—sometimes messy, often in disagreement, but all rooted in a desire for a more just world. Whether it's calling out institutional sexism or celebrating care work, feminism in all its forms helps us see the invisible scaffolding of gendered power—and imagine what it could look like if we took it down and built something better.